The Royal Mint has launched a new £5 coin, which forms part of a nationwide code-breaker challenge that could see entrants win a 250g gold bar (worth around £29,000).
The £5 denomination coin includes numbers, letters, and symbols that can be used to uncover layers of secrets, riddles, and puzzles that form "the Great British Treasure Hunt", the Royal Mint said.
The code-breaker challenge is inspired by Sir Isaac Newton, who was master of the Mint and “one of the greatest minds of all time”.
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Chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint, Nicola Mitchell, said: “The Royal Mint is stepping into a new era of coin collecting.
“The Great British Treasure Hunt coin is not just a beautiful collector’s item; it’s an interactive device with more than meets the eye.
"Hidden within its design and packaging are layers of secrets and puzzles to take players on a journey of discovery, perfect for those who love mystery, challenge and the thrill of the chase."
How does the Great British Treasure Hunt work?
The Great British Treasure Hunt consists of five levels, the first of which is free to try through the Royal Mint’s website (but is not part of the competition).
Once this has been completed, further stages can be unlocked through the use of “The Penny Drops” £5 coin and packaging.
The Royal Mint will release the levels in waves (check the Royal Mint website for dates and details), starting from January 29, with each update containing various tips and hints.
While there is no purchase necessary to take part in level one of the hunt, a purchase of either a penny drops brilliant uncirculated or silver proof coin will be needed to take part in levels two to five, as entrants will need to use the purchased coin and/or its packaging to complete the competition’s puzzles.
The competition opens on February 3 and closes on March 30.
Entrants must successfully complete levels two to five inclusive of the treasure hunt by 11.59pm on March 30.
People must be aged 18 or over to take part in the competition, which is restricted to one entry per customer account.
At the culmination of the hunt, those still in the game will have the chance to win the grand prize of a solid gold 250g bar.
Based on recent gold prices, the approximate value of the bar could be around £28,000 to £29,000 (an indicative figure as gold prices are constantly changing).
One winner, who must be UK-based, will be selected at random on or shortly after March 31, and will be notified by email.
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How to get “The Penny Drops” £5 coin
The brilliant uncirculated version of “The Penny Drops” coin is available to buy for £22.50, with gold and silver proof versions also available for £5,195 and £149.50, respectively.
These coins can be purchased from the Royal Mint website (a link to which can be found above) from 9am on Thursday (January 29).
The coin will not be going into general circulation, the Royal Mint added.
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